The "More Travel Help...Just In Case!" Story

An extra read for today, since the weather outside is frightful and I am getting bored with Leave It To Beaver and Perry Mason on ME-TV.  I wrote this story months ago, so you can see what my environment. and thoughts were back in the middle of 2020.  Hated to discard the story...so I'll let it up to you if you care to discard it.

Pre-Preface:  Not sure if there is such a thing as a pre-preface, but there is now!   I originally wrote this story when we thought we were going to travel April of 2020, but that never happened.  So, I saved this story for when we would travel...hopefully in early October of 2020.  Well, that has now passed and we are now hoping for late May of 2021.  Will me make it?  I haven't a clue!

Preface:  The following story was written over a week ago, but somehow got lost amongst all my other stories.  By reading it you will see just how fast the Coronavirus has progressed. Changes in just one week have been amazing with most stores closed and all sports canceled.  Carol and I now have to go to the grocery store at 6:00 AM, since that is the time allotted for those over 60 to shop, since the store is the cleanest and the shelves are stocked the best at that time of the day.  I appreciate the thought, but the time is the problem, since getting my wife up at that time is almost as bad as getting the virus.  So, we now wear rubber gloves to the store, a mask and don't buy anything that doesn't come in a sealed box or bottle.  On a lighter note, my wife read a post from our Facebook page that went like this:  Prediction: There will be a minor babyboom in 9 months, and then one day in 2033, we shall witness the rise of the Quaranteens.

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday, and the local newspaper had quite a bit about the Coronavirus in various sections of the paper.  Matter of fact, just about the entire newspaper was about the virus.  One section which I always look at on Sunday is the "Travel" section which did have a very interesting and helpful article, that after reading it, I thought it might be helpful for anyone reading my blog and planning to travel in the near future...or actually anytime!  The big headline read "HOW TO DISINFECT YOUR SPACE ON AN AIRPLANE."  I have read several articles in the past 20 years or so about trying to sanitize your seat before you sit in it.  Most were very helpful, but not to the extent that this article was.  They begin the article with telling their readers that airlines "try" to clean their seats and space around them, but at times don't have enough time between flights.  So, the article gave some tips for cleaning your personal area in order to stay healthy on the flight.  The following are the four ways the article suggests you can clean your personal space before you take your seat.  

1. Keep your hands clean and stop touching your face.  Wiping down the surfaces around your seat if fine, as long as it doesn't give you a false sense of security.  No matter what you do, continue to wash your hands and follow other best practices.  The next part of the article was the most interesting to me and perhaps the most important.  It read...Viral particles, the transmission vehicle of the coronavirus, must enter you through eyes, nose or mouth.  While the coronavirus can last on surfaces like tray tables, touch screens, door handles and faucets...one study found that other coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS stay on metal, glass and plastic for up to nine days...a disinfectant on a hard surface, or soap while washing your hands, will kill the virus.  However, most people tend to touch their faces more often than they realize.  Doing so after touching a surface where droplets from when someone sneezed or coughed can lead to the virus being passed on. 
2. So first things first: WASH YOUR HANDS.  "It's just as important to think about where your hands have been and to wash  your your hands.  Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds  of long enough to sing "Row, Row, Row you boat, gently down the stream" twice, and if that's not possible, then use a generous amount of hand sanitizer.  
3. Choose a window seat.  Studies have found that the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window.  Researchers studied passengers and crew members on several multi-hour flights and observed that people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people.  If you can, book a window seat and try not to move from it during the flight, stay hydrated and keep your hands away from your face.  Also, keep your hands clean!
4. Disinfect hard surfaces.  When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seat-belt buckle and the tray table.  I also suggest you wipe the window area if sitting by a window, since I like to rest my head on that area when I am trying to sleep on my flight.  You have to remember that the virus is not going to jump off of surfaces, but will transmit to you if you touch it and then touch your face.  Disinfecting wipes need to keep the surfaces you wipe wet for the recommended time on the package if you expect it to work correctly.  Read the label for that time requirement.  If there is a touch-screen wipe it down as well as the pocket area where the magazines are kept.  Try not to touch more areas than you absolutely need to touch.  If you do need to use the restroom, take a wipe with you to open the door and then close it.  Use another wipe to flush the toilet and to turn the water off and on.  DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING WITH A BARE HAND!  Throw the wipes away as you exit the bathroom.  Oh yeah. don't shake anyone's hand or touch anything while going back to your seat.  I find I have the most trouble with trying to remember not to touch my face.  If I get an itch, I scratch it.  Don't dare to do that!  Use your shoulder to do that if possible.  If you have a need to blow your nose, use a tissue without touching your face.  And, if you wear glasses, have them on your face when you sit in your seat and leave them on the entire time.  Hey, all these warnings are easy to remember to do, and YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT!  Good luck and enjoy your flight!

Hope the steps to stay safe may have helped you.  I know, after reading them and then typing them, they have helped me.  Now, if only I can remember not to touch my face!  That will be the hardest part. So, please stay safe and follow all the guidelines to try and prevent you from getting the Coronavirus.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.